DISCOGRAPHY AUTOPSY: IN HA ICE SPICE MOOD

Isis Naija Gaston, better known as Ice Spice, is an artist who has managed to capture an entire generation of listeners, without even having an album out yet. The Bronx native rapper takes a lot of inspiration from her upbringing, with tracks having a typical drill sound of that area. Though after several songs that went viral on TikTok for their “baddie” energy, Ice Spice has also explored other genres, notably on her track with PinkPanthress which has a much more melodic pop sound to it. With her first EP out this year, and a distinguishable Y2K bling bling aesthetic that was also explored in her latest appearance in Marc Jacobs’ Heaven campaign, Ice Spice has been appointed Gen Z’s princess.

BULLY FREESTYLE

Debuting her music career, Ice Spice released Bully Freestyle in 2021 after meeting producer RiotUSA at State University of New York. She may have dropped out of college but her relationship with RiotUSA continued, having produced her first EP “Like..?”. Bully Freestyle gave us a first glimpse into Ice Spice’s musical taste, with the song featuring a trap-style beat reminiscent of Pop Smoke, an artist she has named as an inspiration. Lyrically, this song makes perfect sense for the young rapper. Boasting about how she’s the “baddest b*tch”, a recurring theme throughout her discography, Ice Spice casually puts everyone in their place tapping into the bully side of herself.

MUNCH (FEELIN’ U)

Just like many new rising artists, this 2022 track led Ice Spice to reach the height of pop charts after her opening lyrics “You thought I was feelin’ you? (Nah)” went viral on TikTok. This song wasn’t tied down to any particular trend on the app but was used by many to show themselves off, in tune with Ice Spice’s words “I’m a baddie I get what I want”. Munch (Feelin’ U) perfectly encapsulates Ice Spice, with a trap and bass-heavy beat and a repeated catchy chorus that gives the song a pop-friendly approach.

IN HA MOOD

The first track of this year, and also the opening track to her first EP that would drop later this year, In Ha Mood became yet another viral sound on TikTok with Ice Spice’s catchy quickfire lyrics “Bae, I’m not stayin’, I just wanna play / In the party, he just wanna rump / Big boobs and the butt stay plump / She a baddie, she know she a ten”. While her musical style stays relatively the same, the music video for In Ha Mood sees the artist explore her own personal style much more.

Now a successful artist, Ice Spice did not hold back on the styling team, where she is seen for the first half tapping into the bling aesthetic, with a chunky diamenté Ice Spice statement necklace, one the artist keeps close to her at all times, and doubled-up belts paired with a furry cropped jacket, flared jeans and Air Jordan 4s. The second half sees her embodying an ice queen, with furry earmuffs and a pair of Telfar x Moose Knuckles quilted silver trousers.

GANGSTA BOO FT. LIL TJAY

As part of her 2023 EP “Like..?”, Gangsta Boo is the first song Ice Spice invites a feature on. It makes sense why she chose Lil Tjay, also being from the Bronx and having his songs go viral on TikTok. While acknowledging the fact that she’s a baddie, this track sees Ice Spice turn a different direction admitted to liking the person who is coming onto her, rapping “I’m a fan but I’m keepin’ my cool / And I like it when you call me boo”.

The accompanying music video features Ice Spice with her now instantly recognizable ginger-coloured hair. The outfits here are kept quieter than In Ha Mood, but still showing off her style by wearing low-waist trousers and a cropped top, while focusing on her’s and Lil Tjay’s jewellery.

BOY’S A LIAR PT. 2

The British singer PinkPantheress released Boy’s A Liar in 2022, but in 2023, she re-released the track with the title addition of “Part 2” and the musical contribution of Ice Spice, which took the already-beloved songs to new heights. Currently both artists’ most listened to song on Spotify, Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2 was yet another hit whose catchy bars found their way on almost all TikTok videos.

The UK meets the Bronx in this pop-leaning anthem, Ice Spices’s lyrics, which are used to begin superimposed on harsher drill beats, fit perfectly with the melodic sounds brought by PinkPantheress. The music video, which is now close to 100 million views, shows off the young rapper in a Y2K style white tracksuit, with a cropped jacket and flared trousers, as well as rocking the same bedazzled necklace as in her In Ha Mood video.